McCarney expects Tate to play for Iowa this week

Iowa State coach Dan McCarney expects Drew Tate to be the starting quarterback for the Iowa Hawkeyes when the teams meet for the 54th time in Iowa City. Tate missed Iowa’s victory with Syracuse due to an abdominal strain. McCarney says if Tate doesn’t play, his backup Jason Manson was able to go on the road and win.

Manson passed for 202 yards and a touchdown against Syracuse but had four interceptions. McCarney says knowing how tough Tate is and as a senior, he says Tate will want to play in the in-state rivalry.

Coaches don’t want to give an opponent billboard material but in this matchup Iowa State has give Iowa more than just material but an actual billboard. ISU officials this summer posted a billboard along I-380 in Cedar Rapids showing the Cyclone players hoisting the Cy-Hawk trophy with the phrase “It’s a Cyclone State.”

McCarney says, “It is what it is, and it’s part of our marketing and our promotion and I’m looking forward to playing this game.” He says once the game kicks off, the billboard won’t have much impact on the game.

McCarney says the Cyclones made progress in a number of areas in their second game but kickoff coverage was not one of them. McCarney says “We stunk Saturday.” He says kickoff coverage has been one of their strong points and they need to get the problems corrected.

The game at Iowa begins a tough stretch for the Cyclones who will visit Texas next week. McCarney says it’s and exciting game, and it’s not just another game. He says he’s felt the sting of defeat and the thrill of winning the game, but McCarney says they can’t put everything into one game.

McCarney says it isn’t the end of the world if they don’t win, and they have to move on as they play six nationally ranked teams in the next six weeks. McCarney says he can’t lose the team if they don’t win and have to be ready to move on win or lose.